The present invention is generally related to passenger restraints and more particularly to a dual safety belt retractor having a single electrical switch assembly.
The present invention relates to an improvement in a passive, motorized restraint system that employs a dual spool retractor having a plurality of levers. The levers are arranged to provide a means to disengage a locking member from an associated pawl within each of the two retractors of the dual spool retractor. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a single electrical switch assembly is utilized to sense the position of the levers and to generate a signal that is used to provide information to the occupant informing same that the lever or levers is in a release position and that corrective action is required. The present invention improves upon the prior art by utilizing a novel single switch construction as opposed to the plurality of electrical switches previously used to sense individual lever motion.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a single switch assembly capable of sensing the motion of associated lever mechanisms which are part of a dual spool retractor.
Accordingly, the present invention comprises a single switch assembly and improved dual spool retractor individually or as part of a safety belt system. As the invention relates to the safety belt system, such system would comprise: a dual spool retractor assembly including first and second retractors, each retractor including safety belt webbing, a pawl, an interlock mechanism for coacting with the pawl to prevent the extension of the webbing. The retractor assembly further includes lever means including first and second levers, one associated with each retractor, activated by an occupant, to manually release a corresponding interlock mechanism for its corresponding pawl to permit extension of the webbing. The system additionally includes a switch assembly mounted to the dual retractor assembly comprising a single electrical switch for generating a signal indicative of the position of the levers. The switch assembly additionally includes a carrier mounted to the dual retractor assembly for mounting the switch and for supporting actuation bar, wherein the actuation bar is rotatingly and slidingly supported within the carrier for selectively enabling and disabling the switch in response to forces imparted thereto by the first and second levers. The actuation bar being pivotally positioned and movable to a first position relative to the carrier and switch in response to forces received upon actuation of the first lever, movable to a second position relative to the carrier in response to forces received from the second lever wherein such movement does not cause the switch to change state and movable to a third position in response to forces received upon activating both the first and second levers to change the state of the switch.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.